Customers could order items like snacks, drinks, and basic essentials from the Amazon app and use a barcode to access their purchase at designated Pickup locations. An Amazon employee would fill an Instant Pickup locker within minutes of the order being placed.

However, Amazon has pulled the plug on the service, a company spokesperson has confirmed to Business Insider. The company did not specify when the service ended.

The service was designed for impulse, need-it-now purchases. It used Amazon Pickup locations that were already in operation for traditional pickups. When the service was announced in August 2017, it was available at five Pickup locations, including college campuses, and announced plans to expand to more.

Instant Pickup made the Pickup locations more like a store than just a receiving center. It was like a large vending machine with a staff of one.

Instead of Instant Pickup, Amazon is focusing on its Pickup locations, which allow customers to pick up and drop off items to be returned. The centers also offer free, same-day pickup on some locations for Prime members, but that's the fastest Amazon is offering now that Instant Pickup has been rolled back.